The attention of the Berom Educational and Cultural Organisation (BECO) has been drawn to an unusual news item in an online news outfit (REALITY NEWSPAPER), of November 22, 2023, with the above headline. The story which was anchored by one Valentine Adese (owner of REALITY NEWSPAPER), has since been debunked by authorities of the state government and other affected or interested segments of the society.

However, we are compelled to briefly respond in order to set a few records straight for the sake of clarity, information and posterity.

The said publication had it that a group of Mwaghavul and Berom militias were currently undergoing training at the leadership and citizenship training center, Shere Hills, for the purpose of, (wait for it), attacking the state, at the instance of the state governor, Barr Caleb Mutfwang. We are convinced beyond doubt that even a certified mad man would not believe an allegation of this nature. This is because in all ramifications, this is a hatchet job gone awfully hogwash and awry. Certainly, there’s a limit to stupidity, rascality and madness.

In any case the state government has appropriately responded to the segments of unsettling falsehood contained in the publication, to warrant a repetition here. Suffice it here however, to state and, categorically so, that we in the BECO, would naturally not hesitate to nodding in affirmation, to any genuine hand of assistance, to us, to successfully face the scourge of terrorism unleashed on our rural communities by Fulani terrorists, since 2001. We have lost hundreds of thousands of our people in the most horrifying, gory and horrendous manner, any person or group of persons can possibly be subjected to. Unfortunately, we have been abandoned by the Nigerian state.The last eight years were undoubtedly our worse, coupled with a state governor, who displayed the most disturbing and unbecoming insensitivity towards our cause. In such a hopeless situation any help is good enough. Unfortunately, we are yet to have any overtures from any source. The militia training ascribed to by Valentine Adese, therefore comes across to us as a rude shock and very insulting.

All along Valentine Adese has been presented as a versatile commentator and a regular voice, in radio discussion programs in Jos. In all these he has displayed a fairly balanced position on crucial and topical matters. His involvement in the production of the ill-fated story under reference, perhaps may be his hidden identity. Perhaps we have been dealing with a double faced security hit man, in the man Valentine Adese. He may have presented us his one face hitherto, to warm himself to the in-coming Mutfwang government. However, with the apparent display of judicial rascality, with regards to the judgments of election petitions, and given the tragedy that has befallen the PDP, Adese may have felt the need to show forth his second face. This in all sincerity, is most disgusting and unfortunate.

The Berom nation has had to put up with its challenges from 2001 to date, alone. At a point in time, killing our people was a veritable source of amusement and celebration to other nationalities living in our midst. We remained undaunted and unshaken in our faith in God. We believe that the Valentine Adeses in our midst must be having an unfulfilled accomplishment seeing us responding fairly adequately to the challenges, with God on our side. Sometime ago in the House of Representatives, Idris Wase who, from the records, has not pretended in any way, to sympathize with us in all our adversities, but rather came alive straining nerves to lie to the world, on the floor of the house, that Da Jonah Jang sent Berom youths for training in Israel. It needs no hard searching to know the nexus between Adese and the rogues on the other side. Yet tomorrow some one will wish to accuse our People of not supporting his party, when it’s glaring that Beromphobia has become a central policy of their politics and it’s culture.

In conclusion, it is important to educate the Adeses that fanning the embers of war is easier than facing the war and, worse living with its consequences. We stand with the official position of the state government on this matter.
God bless Plateau state.

Chollom Gyang
Secretary General
24th November, 2023.